When Henrietta Deters (“call me Henri”) fled her New Orleans home in the wake of Katrina, cloth napkins in an antique armoire were the last things on her mind. Months later, when Henri returned, she found the napkins, most of which had been pink and beige pre-Katrina. None were purple or blue, yet those colors appeared on some of the napkins. In addition to the new colors, new designs were present too. This soon-to-be 92-year-old who is an active participant in Women of the ELCA at Grace Lutheran wanted to use the napkins in a quilt. Some new Lutheran friends from an Iowa City, Iowa congregation pieced and quilted those cloth napkins into a most extraordinary quilt that hangs in the narthex at Grace. What do you see in this quilt? A sign posted with it mentions crosses, nails, Mary kneeling at the cross. I see the resilience of a remarkable woman of faith.

Cross created by Katrina on cloth napkin used to create quilt

Henri Deters with quilt